WO-S coach Newton leaves for Corsicana

RYAN S. CLARK

Published 12:00 am, Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Some people might see a basketball team coming off an 0-27 season as a red flag, but even longtime football coach Dan Hooks can see the potential.

Hooks said Tuesday he can understand why West Orange-Stark boys basketball coach Don Newton resigned from the school to take the same position at Corsicana. Newton, a WO-S graduate, coached one season at his alma mater as he led the school to a 22-11 record and to the Class 3A regional quarterfinals.

"We heard about it through the grapevine and then Don came in this morning and told us that he is taking the job in Corsicana," Hooks said. "That team's coming off a bad season, but I can see why'd he want to go up there. It's a big Class 4A school and there's all kind of possibilities with what he could do up there with that many kids."

Newton was officially hired Monday by the Corsicana ISD.

Before coming to WO-S, Newton had been a coach for nine seasons in North and South Carolina. He also spent a season in Louisiana before taking the job at WO-S.

"I had a great experience returning home," Newton said in a statement. "I thought the kids' efforts were off the charts; and I was appreciative of all the support."

Newton's resignation will be effective June 30.

Though Newton coached the boys basketball team, he had a larger role at WO-S as he was the school's Athletic Academic Coordinator and Advisor.

Newton was appointed to the position in March by West Orange-Cove CISD superintendent O. Taylor Collins to help student-athletes achieve the required grades needed to pass and attend college.

He was also responsible for making sure that student-athletes that signed a scholarship would be eligible under NCAA guidelines.

"It's the superintendent's call when it comes to who fills that position," Hooks said. "I know that he did a heck of a job in the time he was in that position."

Hooks said that the district would advertise the position for the next three weeks to gauge the interest in the position.

The goal is to get a new boys basketball coach hired during the summer, he said.

"Like I said, Don did a really good job here," Hooks said. "He took our kids and won 20-something games with them and that's real impressive. I am sure he can go up there to Corsicana and do the same thing with those kids up there."